Exhibit A
by Ludum Sanguinis
Summary: It's been a month and a half, and Amalia is already fed up with her return from adventure. Yugo is wearing the same mask he's worn for years, and Evangeline is resorting to risky measures on their behalf. Nothing goes according to anyone's plan.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

This was not the plan. She didn't even have a plan, but this was indefinably not it. How could she let this happen so quickly? It had only been three days…

All she had to do was keep her neck covered for about a week, maybe less. And then she could pass it off as a bruise from a plant summoning. A contusion from a wayward vine. A boo-boo from bamboo. Hell, maybe it would be completely healed by then, she had always been a fast recovery.

Now her excitable attendants would not shut up. Probably ever, if her luck with them was anything to go by. They weren't arguing with each other, for once, yet Amalia would have likely preferred that at this point. Need she remind anyone that their only job right now was to prep her dress?

"My goodness! How long must she have been keeping this secret from us?"

Amalia scoffed.

"I have no idea! Imagine if it's been years! Sneaking about with a secret lover… for so long? How romantic!"

"Who do you think it is? Someone from the castle? A vigilant guard? Or maybe an _exotic foreigner_?

 _Exotic foreigner, huh? I suppose…_ Amalia shook her head. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about that! The last thing she needed was to give these two a hint. They entered gossip circles like bees to flowers and even the slightest chance that Yugo might hear about it was too much of a risk.

Because he probably wouldn't remember it. He was too drunk at the time.

It wasn't like she planned that either, she was pretty trashed too. She had challenged him to a drinking contest after they were already buzzed. Both were green drinkers, but she held the advantage of a larger body mass. So she remembered more.

She remembered that he was a pretty good kisser.

Amalia shook her head again. "Listen, both of you," she said with as much darkness she could muster. "If I hear about any more of this... If you decide that it's a good idea to share your little _theories_ with anyone... I will personally sign the papers reassigning you the fertilizer yards. Understand?"

What she got in reply was a pair of half scared, half amused giggles behind fingertips. The red of her face was doing little to help intimidate them, but they seemed to follow her point and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Good. Now leave me, I can dress myself."

They left, barely containing their mirth.

Amalia groaned. This was easily the most stressful week she endured in a long time. And that was saying a lot considering the world-breaking events that coated her life. Her brother was doing his damnedest to push guilt and duty onto her, political suitors and ambassador work piled up faster than she could manage, and now she had to stop rumors from spreading! As if that ever worked.

Armand's voice echoed in her head. _You must show an invested interest in other nations' cultures, for the good of Sadida._

Tuar-shit. Like getting smashed on bamboo milk gave any impression of _interest_ that would benefit Sadida. It just made her look like an alcoholic. She was grateful that Pandiego was willing to be tight-lipped about the lack of decorum. Or, as he put it: _"Giving respect to a fine display of Pandawan tolerance."_

Whatever that meant.

She needed a vacation. It had been a month and a half since the last adventure, and in her books that was way too long. She would have to contact everyone as soon as possible. She could test out an idea she had with her magic also. Two birds, one stone.

But where to?

[][][]

Fortunately for the creaky wooden bird that Amalia summoned, the Sadlygrove family was visiting Yugo. It would only take one trip, which seemed to be its limit. It was about to fall apart. It glided lightly towards the ever-familiar blue embedded from its master's memories.

And shattered on impact. The carried letter falling among the broken twigs and leaves.

"Ow." Yugo rubbed his head and took note of the broken construct. "Amalia?" He looked around for his friend, but didn't see her anywhere close enough for her magic to work. Was she hiding?

"Yugo!" Percedal called. "You okay? Didjya get lost trying to serve our food?"

Eva flicked him. "Honestly, Dally. Set a good example for the baby." The baby laughed at that and hit his father as well.

Percedal gave a bright unapologetic smile in retort and looked back to Yugo, who was bringing their meals along while looking wordlessly down at the letter from the bird. "What'cha reading?"

"Amalia can apparently make carrier pigeons with her dolls now..."

"Well it's good to hear that she's taking her magic studies more seriously. She always had a decent talent for it," Evangeline said.

"Apparently she wants to go on vacation."

Evangeline sighed. "...I take it back. So where is she planning this 'vacation'?" She air-quoted and the baby did his best to mimic her gestures.

Yugo set the table with his friend's food and a bottle of formula for the baby. "She didn't specify. Just- and I'm quoting- 'anywhere his omniscient highness is not.'"

"Oh. So she's fighting with her brother again. That sounds fun." She rested her head on her arm as the baby tried biting his.

"So you won't go?"

"I never said that." Evangeline smiled. "The kids have been asking non-stop to go on another 'adventure'. Our trip here was supposed to be for that... but something bigger would be more... exciting. Dally and I are also getting a little restless. Travel would be nice." She paused. "We can't bring the baby though."

Yugo grew an uncannily familiar smirk. "I'm sure Dad would be willing to help with that."

"I'm sure I'll be roped into it regardless," Alibert said, appearing behind Yugo. "But didn't you just go on a trip with Amalia earlier in the week?" He scratched his chin. "Not that I don't appreciate the shipment of coconut milk we got out of it, but..."

Yugo grimaced. He didn't remember much of what happened, but he knew it was probably best left that way. He had seen the way people behaved while they were drunk, and he doubted very much that he would be in much better condition. He really didn't want to think about the possibilities.

"Well, that was a diplomatic... event," Yugo said with an entirely unconvincing smile. "This is for fun."

Evangeline took note of the 'event'. She would have to ask Amalia about it later. The baby copied her thoughtful frown to the best of his ability.

Alibert raised an eyebrow. "Well, go tell Adamai about it. I'm sure he'll want to join you."

Yugo gave a wide grin and opened a portal to the nearby field where Adamai and the kids were playing.

[][][]

"I hope you enjoy your trip, but I won't be joining you." Adamai kept his gaze towards Chibi and Grougaloragran, who were sitting in the field across from one another with their eyes closed. Meditating.

Yugo frowned.

"These two need to start their training in wakfu, and I'm the best equipped to show them how."

"They could join us, you know. You could train on the road."

Adamai turned to his brother. "Probably, but I still think it would be best for us to focus on this."

Chibi suddenly perked up, smiling. He stood and began walking toward what he thought was Adamai. And promptly fell over, disoriented by the new sense of vision.

"You're getting better." Adamai praised. "Your next goal is to make it twenty meters without falling."

Grougaloragran heard this and huffed, blowing smoke from his nostrils and forming a rictus of concentration. The grass around him had long since been burned away.

Adamai smiled at Yugo. "Knowing how much trouble we get into, these two will have to be prepared for anything."

Yugo smiled back. "Well just make sure you come along on the next adventure. It can be boring without you."

Adamai nodded and Yugo left through a portal.

[][][]

Elely and Flopin bounded through the town in search of their parents. To proclaim their boredom. Adamai wasn't letting them play with Chibi or Grougaloragran because they were training. And not the kind of training the twins could participate in. Something about it being exclusive to Eliotropes and Dragons.

This adventure wasn't doing much for them. There was no villains to fight, and no challenges to overcome. It was nice that there was no one getting hurt, but It was incredibly boring, and although Elely was the primary distributor of complaints, Flopin was in full agreement.

"Dad!" Elely shouted as she rapidly approached the restaurant. "Daddy, come fight with me!"

Percedal turned in half-surprise with a face covered with many infant-sized hand-prints of barbecue sauce. He was holding her baby brother, who was sleeping peacefully, also covered in barbecue sauce and with his hand placed on his father's face. Percedal put a finger to his mouth in a plea for quiet, and smiled fondly at his daughter.

Elely copied his smile momentarily before remembering her outrage. She puffed in irritation. He couldn't hide behind her little brother forever. Flopin appeared behind her with a raised eyebrow.

Percedal chuckled quietly. "You two are in luck." And he pointed to the roof of the inn, where Evangeline was taking aim with her bow. Seemingly at the sky.

Flopin's eyes went wide and starry. "What is she doing?" He could tell that it was difficult, even for his mother. She was the best shot he knew of and if it was taking this much of her concentration then something incredible was about to happen! His grin grew and he kept his eyes fixed on his mother's bow.

"Why's it taking her so long?" Elely grumbled.

Flopin shushed his sister. She huffed and looked away.

Evangeline finally knocked a glowing golden arrow and after a moment, fired it toward the sky. She turned to see her children standing next to Percedal, Flopin staring in awe and Elely standing with crossed arms and an annoyed frown. As always, it warmed her heart. She jumped down from the roof to her family.

Flopin rushed over. "Mommy, can you show me how to do that, too?"

Evangeline patted her son's head. "You still need to work on your eagle eye before i can teach you any magic bow techniques."

Flopin looked disappointed, but set a furrow to his brow and a glint to his eye. He would master it before the week was done.

"Ugh, whatever! This is boring!" Elely whispered, still remembering her baby brother was sleeping. Flopin looked at her in shock and disgust.

Percedal placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Elely, like I said; you're in luck."

Elely looked up at her father in doubt.

"What your mother shot was a recall arrow. It lets a person who touches it teleport to us." He smiled wide. "How would you kids feel about going on a _real_ adventure?"

Just then, the baby woke up and began crying and slapping more barbecue-stained hand-prints onto Percedal's face, all while he maintained his cocky smile.

[][][]

Ruel Stroud was in a great mood. At least, for having his manhood nearly speared off. "What now?" He asked immediately after appearing in a flash of golden light. Didn't even bother to see who was around.

Evangeline deadpanned. "Her highness demands adventure."

Ruel grumbled. "As if I'm not getting that from a completely different angle already..."

"Uncle Ruel!" The twins shouted.

Ruel lit up. "Kids!"

A sly smile marked Evangeline's face. _Got'em._

[][][]

"Isn't it... smaller than before?" Percedal asked.

"Well... yes," Ruel supplied. "After some... mechanical difficulties, I had to rebuild it to better accommodate some... unique environments." He tapped his fingers together in a nervous gesture. Arpagone was adamant about treasure hunting together, but he needed a break. Him deconstructing and rebuilding the machine was a convenient excuse.

"Is it gonna hold all of us?"

"Of course! Not all the seats are in, but there's plenty of breathing room..."

Elely poked her head out of the window of the vehicle. "Hey! There's only three seats! You're not gonna make me share with Flopin, are you?!" she shouted with a squeak in her voice.

"Now now, I'm sure something can be figured out..." Ruel said.

Meanwhile, Evangeline was lining up another shot with a recall arrow. This time to summon Amalia. It was much more difficult than before, with Flopin's gaze boring into the back of her skull. Although she was happy that her son wanted to learn, his questions had quickly become distracting.

"... It just lets people teleport to wherever they want!"

"Only to the point of firing, dear." Evangeline searched for Amalia with her eagle eye.

"Could you make it the opposite? Like, shoot the arrow and teleport to where it hits?"

"That would be impressive..." She almost had her aim set.

"That sounds way cooler than Yugo's portals!"

"Hm, just be sure not to brag about it too much..." Ah. There she was. Right in the courtroom.

Flopin gave a confused stare.

"You know, for when _you_ invent it." She let loose the arrow and looked to her son with a smirk.

"You think I'll be able to do that?" Flopin bounced in place.

"I do."

[][][]

Amalia was sitting in at yet another suitor meeting, not paying any attention at all as her brother rambled off the mundane accomplishments of whoever this was. Owned seven shops that each specialized in a different type of cheese. Oh, how she swoons for that.

In fact, she was so enamored with the man that she almost missed him being nearly impaled. Because she was looking out the window. Or at her food. Or at her feet.

Yeah, she could go for a spa day sometime soon...

Well, it was really the golden light of one of Evangeline's recall arrows that grabbed her attention. She was out of her seat before anyone could react to the strange circumstances.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Prince Armand yelled. "Guards! Find the archer responsible for-" Amalia was already next to the arrow. He instantly recognized what was about to happen and placed his head in his palms, resigning himself to the consequences.

Amalia shot a wide victorious grin towards her brother. "Return."

[][][]

"It's smaller than before..."

"Yes, yes. We've been through this already." Evangeline pushed Amalia onto the reduced digging machine with admittedly more force than needed. "Just remember, this was your idea."

"Yeah, well, this still beats having to deal with my brother and his-" Amalia paused. "Why are there only three seats?" She looked at Ruel.

"Bad timing, for the most part," Ruel said. "No worries. By the time we get to our first stop, I'll be able to nab some parts from an old friend of mine." He gave a cocky smile. "He owes me."

Amalia only gave a glare in response to Ruel's shaky promise.

Evangeline chuckled. "I guess you'll just have to let Yugo sit on your lap."

"W-what? What the hell Eva!" Amalia gave a quick look around for the bespoken eliotrope. She huffed and crossed her arms. "I am a princess of the Sadida Kingdom! I do not let people sit on my lap."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, 'oh'! Why not have Yugo sit on _your_ lap?!"

"Flopin will be sitting on my lap. And Elely on Dally's." Evangeline couldn't help but grin at the indignation plastered on Amalia's face. If she wanted adventure, she was going to get an adventure. Inconveniences and all. And that started with adverse travel conditions. She buckled down and prepared to execute a carefully-crafted argument she thought of roughly an hour ago.

[][][]

Yugo hoisted the keg of bamboo milk with a rope and heaved it over his shoulder. "Are you sure I should take this with me?"

"Absolutely. _You_ gave it to me, and this was originally a gift to you. It's not like we don't have more where that came from. You should enjoy it with your friends." Alibert scratched his chin. "Not with the kids though."

Yugo smiled at his father's precaution. "I know. I'll be careful. And I'll try to keep in touch. You sure you have everything you need for the baby? I could teleport to the general store quick and-"

He laughed. "Believe me, I have more than enough to start my own store."

Yugo nodded and summoned a portal beneath his feet. He waved farewell and disappeared.

[][][]

Yugo couldn't remember a time where his face was this hot. Or a time anyone sat on his lap, for that matter. "Um, can you explain to me again why we're sitting like this?"

"To prove a point," Amalia blistered.

"Uh huh..." Yugo looked over to Evangeline and Percedal, the former giving a good attempt not to laugh and the latter not trying at all. "Is the point proven?"

"When we get to our first stop," Evangeline said.

Yugo groaned. It was beyond embarrassing. Amalia had better be at least as uncomfortable as he was. He was sure this was all on her anyway. "And when will that be?"

"Well it's supposed to be a few hours south from here, but with the reductions... probably a campsite halfway," Ruel shouted from the front seat as he started up the engine. It hummed loud and powerful before the group felt the familiar tug of it taking off.

"So what happens when this point gets proven?" Yugo asked.

"The losers have to do everyone's chores for the week." Evangeline said.

Yugo looked up at Amalia. Or at least, as much of her as he could from this position to see red cheeks and her brow set in a determined furrow. Was she really doing this to get out of chores? He found himself smiling lightly despite himself. While he wasn't happy about it, If things stayed calm like this he could manage. Easily. And to top it off, he could avoid chores for a week, too. He tuned his gaze out the window to his right and let a refreshing wave of optimism overtake him as the landscape rolled by.

This wouldn't be too bad.

[[][][]]

 **A/N**

 **Thanks for reading! Hope y'all are excited for season three coming out on Netflix! I've already seen it subbed, but you better believe I'm watching that motherflipper all the way through again. This story takes place after that hullabaloo, with a bit of a plot-hole that can't be filled until the next season.**

 **This was originally going to be smut, but after about a week into writing the plot outline, I realized that this turned into a much more interesting, more wholesome story. So I toned it down a bit to make it more appropriate.**

 **I'm still keeping this story rated M. There will be crudeness and sauciness and probably drama later down the line. Get hyped.**

 **Also, for those few wondering about my other story, "Correlictum", I can't make any promises, but I want to at some point continue it. I've had the thing plotted out in bullet-point style for a long time, just never began writing the actual chapters. Mostly because I had just finished college and had to find a place to live and jobs to support myself. I've now done so, and I can take my free time as free time.**

 **Anyway, I'm not a fan of these author notes. In my last story, I deleted them every time I updated a new chapter... But I think that I'll keep this one around. For posterity. I think people are used to them on this sight anyway.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Yugo was panicking. There was no way she hadn't noticed yet. He was sweating profusely and his legs were asleep, but that didn't stop the heat of the issue at all. Made it worse, actually. He'd have to have a little introspection later about that. He kept his gaze glued out the window, hoping for a distraction while grasping his leg firmly. His right leg, so his friends to his left couldn't see his turmoil. It had gone completely numb.

It didn't help that Amalia kept slowly sliding off his legs and then readjusting herself. As the minutes passed, this became more and more frequent. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that she was doing it on purpose. He'd never know for sure, because he would never talk about this again. Ever. And that was fine with him.

He doubted Amalia would want to talk about it either. He spared a quick glance to see if she gave any reaction. She looked bored, if anything. Maybe she didn't notice after all. Relief washed through him, he just needed to stay still for another... however long it was going to take.

"Uh, did we have an ETA for this?" he asked, not caring who answered.

"Yugo, it's been fifteen minutes..." Evangeline smirked. "Why? Are you thinking of forfeiting?"

"Of course he's not!" Amalia pushed Yugo's hat over his eyes. She huffed and shot a haughty glare at her friend.

Evangeline shrugged. "Well, my best guess is three hours, but I don't know for sure how fast this scrapheap can go."

"Scrapheap? You should be grateful I'm not charging you for this!" Ruel yelled.

"You _are_ charging us!"

"For fuel. That's just common courtesy."

Yugo didn't bother to remove the cloth from his eyes as he cursed at himself. He doubted he could last at all... Although his hat gave him an idea. When it was covering his face it numbed his senses. He should keep it there so he wouldn't smell Amalia, who smelled like flowers because of course she did, she basically was a flower and surrounded herself in flowers and wore them but now wasn't the time to think about that because now he had an idea that maybe he could take a nap to help pass the time and ignore all this by covering his senses! Perfect. Great cover-up. Not a problem. Except Amalia was moving again and now the twins were talking loudly with one another about how powerful they were going to be with their parent's tutelage and how amazing they are going to be on this adventure and if not the volume, the weird topics were going to keep Yugo awake.

"By slaying a dragon, we mean the bad kind of dragon! Sorry Yugo!" Elely corrected herself.

What a sweetheart. He didn't even have time to be insulted by the innocent ramblings of children because Amalia was still moving and she still smelled good through his hat and he still wasn't sure she wasn't grinding into him on purpose!

"It's okay... I'm just gonna... take a nap. Or something. Wake me up when we get close." Yugo said as he pulled his hat down further and tried to ignore everything.

[][][]

While Evangeline was busy scolding Percedal for egging on his daughter when she said she could totally slay a dragon— _only the bad kind, though!—_ Amalia was having a crisis. The type of crisis she swore less than four hours ago that she would definitely not have on this trip. She didn't want it to become like the last one. For what it was worth, nothing bad had happened yet. It was just a possibility. A very possible possibility. One she didn't trust herself to prevent this far in.

Thank Sadida she had a decent poker face. Yugo probably felt the same. He didn't seem to realize he had been squeezing her thigh for the last five minutes. It might have felt good, under other circumstances. Like, if their friends weren't sitting so nearby. Or if Yugo wasn't slouching so much. She kept sliding down his lap and had to readjust frequently, which just made him push further into the unwieldy position.

That, and his 'guest appearance' was very noticeable to her from that position, which was a whole other can of worms she couldn't deal with right now. She wouldn't mind it going into something a little more direct another time, some other place. But not before they worked out their issues with each other. And certainly not with an audience.

She glanced over to her friends and saw them barely paying any attention to her or Yugo, engrossed in a conversation with their kids. She tried to calm herself, thinking on the way she could still sit comfortably _and_ hide Yugo's issue at the same time. She had her work cut out for her, because Yugo's only method seemed to be 'pretend nothing is happening'. Which he was terrible at.

Amalia cursed inwardly at herself. She knew Evangeline was drawing her in with that bet earlier, and she still let her ego rule her actions. This seemed a bit of a strange bet for her friend to push for though. Kinda perverted coming from little miss straight-arrow... But she didn't seem to realize the implication. Perhaps it was because Yugo still looked so young? Amalia grumbled to herself, that honestly made her mad. Like Yugo needed one of his friends vindicating that insecurity.

Maybe it would be better to forfeit now and save him the embarrassment... He'd still have to do the chores, but she could apologize for that. He was pretty forgiving. And willing to help people. It was his element.

Yet, that still didn't sit quite right in her mind. If she was going to apologize, she was going to offer something. Like... annulled duties. That was something a princess could typically offer, wasn't it?

Yugo mindlessly tightened his grip on her leg and Amalia almost squeaked. This was going to be a long trip.

[][][]

Evangeline looked over to her flustered pair of friends, trying to be discrete while still holding a conversation with her children. Yugo seemed to be asleep, while Amalia seemed unfazed, aside from her blushing. It was an obvious act that didn't need any special eyesight to see through.

They stopped being cute to her years ago. Now she just got frustrated thinking about them. She knew she was pushing her luck with this little 'bet'. Amalia could get genuinely angry about it. Rightfully so, especially if it pushed Yugo even further away than he already was.

While she was still going to carry through with her plan, it gave her such a foreboding feeling. She had long since thought they'd make a good couple, but if it wasn't one holdup with them, it was another.

Yugo had that obnoxious messiah complex that made him really hard to help. Evangeline respected his heroism and sense of duty, but he was such an extreme that he wouldn't let himself be helped if it meant a friend would have to take the time of day. Well perhaps she exaggerated, but Yugo did have the tendency to hog burdens. Still, that was foreseen. Completely expected.

Amalia, on the other hand, was a curve-ball. Let it be known that if ever in the princess' twenty years had she wanted something, she wouldn't hesitate to announce it to the world. And nothing but life-and-death would stop her from obtaining it. Perhaps in a roundabout way, but nonetheless. Evangeline had thought that attitude would help break Yugo out of his shell. Any doubt he voiced would be shot down by Amalia's boisterous proclamations. Yet that wasn't the case. Amalia had cold feet and a silence unheard of from her.

Years ago, Evangeline was certain that they were going to become an item. After they started flirting. Perhaps they didn't consider it flirting, but it certainly looked like it from where Evangeline was standing. Amalia would sneak glances under an aloof facade and Yugo involved her in almost every conversation possible, even if she wasn't there. He didn't seem to realize he was doing it. She recalled Yugo teaching Amalia how to fish... Amalia already knew how to fish. _Evangeline_ taught her how to fish _years_ before they ever even met Yugo. But she still listened intently.

Despite this, they never hooked up.

Evangeline rarely got to have a heart-to-heart with her friend as the royal duties racked up, so she never got an explanation or any insight into Amalia's feelings on the subject. She once considered having Percedal talk to Yugo. He needed _someone_ to talk to him, forcefully if need be. But she scrapped the idea after she heard Percedal's plan.

No, a mock 'rescue the princess' circumstance wouldn't work. Amalia could handle herself and they'd probably be arrested. Iop-brain.

Yugo and Amalia still flirted, though. In fact, if they weren't under the awkward conditions they were, they would probably be doing so right this moment. Apparently they kissed during the Oropo incident, If what her daughter said was true. Yet Amalia only got quieter after that. Apparently some things were said in the confusion that couldn't simply be taken back.

Evangeline wanted the best for her friends, and if they kept setting themselves up for heartbreak she was going to intervene. By setting them up for embarrassment instead. If she got a few laughs out of it, so be it.

Evangeline restrained a giggle as she looked to the pair, who were stiff as boards and looking out the window. The way she set them up might have leaned a little toward perversion, but perhaps this subject would be enough to push them over. After all, Percedal became a lot more upfront with her after they got intimate...

For now, they seemed much more lighthearted than before, so she had high hopes preceding events would go smoothly.

[][][]

Alibert rested his head in his palm as he rocked the Sadlygrove infant to sleep with his other arm, staring out the window of the inn at his three adoptive sons and the sunset on the horizon. Adamai had gained a paranoid obsession with making both Chibi and Grougaloragran into capable warriors as fast as possible. It worried him sometimes, after seeing what that prowess gathered in terms of risk. How many times had he watched Yugo nearly plummet to his potential death pushing himself like that?

He sighed. He knew that these kids were destined for major influence on the world. But a father worries.

"Dad?" Adamai floated near the window. "Are you alright? You seem... upset."

Alibert chuckled. "Is that so?" He looked on at Chibi, who was hugging Grougaloragran in elation, much to the little whelp's dismay. They were done with today's lessons and did well. "Well that happens to everyone, doesn't it?"

"Can I... help?" Adamai had a slight choke to his voice.

"It's alright, I'm much happier than I am sad right now." Alibert said, turning to look his son in the eye. "I'm proud of you, you know that?"

Adamai had a string of emotions run across his face before mindlessly wording a question. "Why?"

"Why not? You're my family."

"But I—"

"Not everyone gets such an amazing family. Especially an old Enutrof like me without that much ambition." Alibert adjusted his hat and looked back to Chibi and Grougaloragran. "You should have gone with Yugo."

"I couldn't..." Adamai admitted after a terse silence. "Not after—"

"And how long will you be avoiding him?"

"...When I can be forgiven."

"Yugo forgave you the instant you apologized." Alibert realized he'd slipped into his lecturing tone at some point. "Anyways, you did what you thought was right."

"And I was wrong!"

"So was Yugo. Wasn't that the reason you ran away?"

"I did terrible things to his friends."

"Your friends. Who forgave you."

Adamai looked down. His eyes were glassy and his fists were clenched.

"I know you're not convinced, so I'll drop it for now. But still..." Alibert clamped his hand on his son's shoulder, still smiling. "I'm proud of you."

[][][]

Armand sat in quiet after the last guest left in graceful entourage. He wasn't surprised at all. Just disappointed. Not at his sister's troublesome tendencies, but at himself for having nothing to help her. He understood that she took after their mother, and he desperately did not want to snuff out that last flame of his late family. But he had no earthly idea how to do that while insisting she do her job.

"Guards, leave me. I need time to think."

The guards left, their footsteps echoing quieter and quieter, until they all but disappeared from the hall.

With such mischievous displays toward noblemen and politicians it was a wonder that none left with sour attitudes. Aside from the Brakmar delegation, they were always like that. Actually, even _they_ seemed lighter on their feet than usual, which only confused Armand further. It was as if his little sister's stunt amused them. And the pretentious snobs around politics, himself included, were _never_ amused. Ever. At least not from childish pranks.

Armand sighed into his palm, trying not to smile. This must have been what father saw in Amalia. She inspired people, even when she was completely focused on her own selfish wants. Or perhaps specifically because of that. People watched her with interest. Every time she went off on an adventure, bards and writers and adventurers inquired about the runaway princess. And those requests grew tenfold after each and every crazy event that occurred involving her.

They came by daily nowadays.

It was bitterly humorous that she probably thought that all of these suitor meetings were completely his idea. They were at first, sure, but after that incident with Frigost he only kept it up for appearances and to satisfy his standings. The recent events were, in truth, honest requests for the right to court her. His official response to these requests was that if a party can impress her, they may try. Of course, it was said with much more regal language... And the assumption of the suitors that she could be impressed by them.

Yet with all of these eyes on her, none of them seemed to pick up on the damn-near transparent goo-goo eyes she made any time that Eliotrope was mentioned. Or the way she lit up when recalling his heroic exploits for the bards. Gods forbid, they'd be seen in public with one another and the crowds still wouldn't distinguish the truth. All that was left to figure out about them was the politics.

The kid was a would-be 'king' anyway. Armand didn't need to scheme any grand plot to get this to work out politically. If anything, appearing as a naysayer to the circumstances lent itself fairly well to the fairy-tale romance stories which were popular nowadays. It would build public support and a greater, stronger alliance with the Sadida and this presumably Eliotrope kingdom-to-come.

And if he had to play the villain, so be it. All would prosper.

[][][]

"That is so unfair!" Amalia screamed. "It doesn't count!"

Evangeline was chuckling between groans as Percedal laughed heartily in the background. "Oh? I think it does! And this entire thing was about being unfair anyways! Right, Dally?" She finally managed to sit up and rubbed her shoulder.

"Don't ask him!" Amalia pointed at Percedal, who simply laughed harder. "Conflict of interest!"

Yugo groaned from his upside down position on the other end of the car, blearily recovering from the sudden stop. That was one helluva way to wake up. He rolled upright and sat for a minute while his friends argued.

Elely was next to him, upside down as well and snoring loudly. Her brother was nursing a reddened nose from the impact and trying his best not to cry. And Yugo was now remembering the events from before his nap.

He flushed and silently thanked his luck that nothing outrageous had happened yet. He caught a glance out the window and noticed a noticeable change in the color of the sky. It was late. Had they arrived?

Ruel came through from the cockpit with a defeated scowl. "Well, I've got good news and bad news..."

Evangeline and Amalia halted their debate and focused on their friend. "Okay?"

"The good news is we made it to a decent place to set up camp."

"And the bad news?"

"We'll need to hoof it to the next town over in the morning for parts. The old girl just blew her last piston." Ruel scratched his head. Hopefully, there would be a scrapyard he could liberate parts from. He certainly wasn't going to pay some ridiculous price for them! Not many shops sold parts for this kind of rig anymore anyway.

Amalia immediately went back into her argument. "See? We made it! We won the bet!"

"Not quite, this wasn't an intended stop! And your words were very specific! You two would make it 'all the way to the next stop. No matter how rough the terrain'. And rough terrain is _exactly_ what knocked you out of your seat." Evangeline folded her arms and donned a smug grin. It felt good to go back to this childish banter after so long.

Amalia was boiling over. "But we're HERE!"

[[][][]]


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Amalia stomped through the forest, still fuming. Twigs and pine cones crunched underfoot with satisfying percussion as she slowly outpaced her doll. Her mind wandered to various subjects sporadically and she barely noticed the cold was settling in.

She was trying to be optimistic; at least she could be sure that the proper firewood would be used tonight. Any time someone burned a freshly cut log, it gave an unpleasant scream that only a Sadida could hear. It was also incredibly difficult to light. If she was the one gathering, that wouldn't be a problem.

So she had that going for her, which was nice.

She missed the days when Evangeline was technically a subordinate to her. A bodyguard couldn't pull this kind of nonsense on royalty. But no, now she had to be a _national hero_ and _wife to a god_. Former god. Sorry. Did that technically outrank royalty? Her subconscious supplied a powerful 'probably' to her heart's wracking frustration.

After Evangeline _tricked_ everyone into believing she had won the bet, as Evangelines are wont to do, Amalia gave in. It was too much to argue at that point. So she took it out on Ruel by demanding that he install more seats in that shoddy excuse for a transport.

He agreed. For a price. Per seat. She could still picture his overtly punch-able grin as he rubbed his hands together in glee.

Amalia bent down to pick up another piece of usable deadwood and handed it to her doll. There was a lot of kindling material in this forest. More than there should be. It was strange that it was spread out so far from the trees, too. Perhaps something happened years ago that spread debris accordingly. Although it wasn't covered in dirt after so long, as was typical of felled branches...

She kept her mind on the possibilities of scattered foliage and how it came to be, hoping it would drown out her annoyance. It worked well enough. She lost track of time altogether.

 _Whoops._ Amalia looked at her doll, who was somehow still standing with what looked like a hundred kilos of wood in its tiny arms. It was time to head back.

[][][]

Percedal watched his kids with a welcome warmth in his heart. He was so proud. Evangeline was having the twins spar, to predictable results. Elely wasn't all too on-board with this whole 'holding back' thing, and Flopin was not a hand-to-hand fighter in the first place.

" _—_ and that's final, young lady!"

"I'm not a young lady! I'm a warrior!"

"Ladies can be warriors, too..." Flopin mumbled, nursing his bruised rib.

Elely huffed. "You'd know. Lady..."

Flopin shot a glare and opened his mouth to retort.

"That's enough, you two!" Evangeline said. Perhaps they weren't quite ready to show that type of discipline. "Let's be done with sparring for the night. We can try again tomorrow."

The twins groaned in unison, but didn't argue.

Percedal chuckled to himself. He couldn't muster up the frustration with their antics like Evangeline could. Although, that was probably because she was the only mediator. She had been keen on reminding him of that as many times as she could over the past five years.

"I'm hungry!" Elely declared. Evangeline grimaced.

"Yeah, me too!" said Percedal, receiving a look from his wife. "What?"

The twins each took a seat next to their father on a felled tree trunk. Elely bonked her head against his shoulder. "What's taking Yugo so long, papa?"

Percedal shrugged. "Dunno, I'm not good at fishing."

"Well why doesn't he just make a portal in the water and the fish would fall through it?"

Percedal shrugged again.

"You dummy! Then the water would fall too! Then there wouldn't be any water! And then there wouldn't be any fish!" Flopin said.

Evangeline eyed her husband, who was whittling the end of a stick to a point with Rubilax. It was becoming more and more common to see that of them. The shushu didn't get to fight all that much anymore, so their relationship of knight and sword became that of craftsman and knife. Or hand-blade, rather. Funny how he still considered himself a blade when he could easily be anything else. At least he got to cut into something on a regular basis.

It was becoming dark, the sun had almost fully fallen, painting the sky in a stark gradation of red to blue. No clouds to be seen and a heavy breeze picked up, carrying the nighttime coolness with it. They could really use a fire right about now. Where was Amalia?

"I'm cold!"

"Elely, none of that. Have some patience." Cra knows her mother ran out of any to share in the last hour.

"But why are they taking _forever_?"

Evangeline mulled over plenty of replies she could give before settling on a half truth. Couldn't go for the full truth because she'd have to explain her motives, and that would mean a million other conversations she really didn't want to have at the moment.

"Well, they're probably still annoyed about losing our bet. They're taking longer to make us wait." Evangeline sat down and leaned back into a more comfortable position next to Percedal. Amalia was pretty stubborn, even after growing up.

"Then why did you make a bet if it was gonna make her mad?" Flopin asked.

Rubilax laughed. "That's what friends are for, little Cra."

"Hey! Don't teach him anything weird, Rubi. Friends are supposed to be nice to each other," Percedal said. "They just sometimes tease each other is all."

"Like I teased you when i took over your—"

"Well, no... But you're special."

"Hmph. I don't want to hear that from a man who still has to count on his fingers."

Percedal looked at his hands and raised an eyebrow. "I can't count on my fingers, what are you talking about?"

Evangeline rolled her eyes and turned to her kids. "Here, you two, Think of it this way; Remember when Elely put glue in your shoes, Flopin?"

Flopin nodded, a sidelong grimace lining his face as Elely snickered.

"Well, even though you're mad about that, you two are still family. Right?"

The twins looked at each other and back to their mother, nodding with fixed eyes.

"Friends are just like family in that way. Amalia made me mad as well, and I'm still her friend." Evangeline lowered her voice. "Even if she can be a snooty little brat sometimes..."

The twins nodded. "What does snooty mean?"

"... It means she's stuck up. But that's pretty typical of royalty." She noticed the confused stares the twins gave her and clarified; "Kings, queens, princes, and princesses."

"Mom? Does that mean Yugo is snooty, too?"

Evangeline tried not to laugh at her daughter's innocent question. Honestly, she thought Yugo was quite snooty indeed, but not really in a way that could be used as an example to define the word. He was pretentious, even though he could do a lot to prove himself. He clearly thought of himself rather highly, even if it was in a strange, tragic way. He wasn't _directly_ condescending, so there was probably a better word for it than 'snooty'. "Sort of. It's a little different."

"How?" Flopin asked.

Evangeline shrugged. How could she explain the human psyche to a child? Her son was smart, but that was pushing it. "It will make more sense if you figure it out without me telling you."

Elely's eyes sparked in realization. "Oh! Oh! I get it! Thanks, mom!"

Flopin sent an indignant glare toward his sister. How did that make sense? Now he just had more questions. Like what did 'stuck up' mean, and why did royalty have to be snooty? What did his sister understand? She was an idiot! He grumbled to himself. Asking her to explain would blemish his pride, so he didn't.

Evangeline looked on at her son, watching gears in his head turn and she almost saw smoke coming out of his ears. He really did take after her. She sometimes worried about that.

[][][]

Amalia arrived back at camp just as the sky's red faded. The moon was going to be bright this cloudless night. Her doll carried noticeably less wood than she gathered, most of it fell as it walked behind her with an awkward gait on the way back to the campsite.

As soon as she saw the gathered company of her friends she smiled. For all the trouble they gave her, it was great to be back outside castle walls.

"Amalia! You're back!" Elely bounced over and took an armful of wood from the doll. "I'll help!"

Amalia smiled. "Thank you, Elely. Do you know how to start a campfire?"

Elely shook her head. "Flopin does. Also, I have a question."

Evangeline heard those words in slow-motion and froze. The little Iop was going to be the death of her.

"Mommy said you and Yugo were stuck up because you were royally. But she also said it was weirder than that but wouldn't tell us how... Could maybe you tell me what makes it so weird?"

Amalia kept a smile on her face throughout the exchange. She would later praise herself for her quick judgment, because she had just hatched a marvelous plan. She patted Elely's head. "I think you mean royalty. And yes, I suppose I am." She looked over at Evangeline, who was avoiding eye contact altogether, and smiled an evil smile so vile she would have impressed Qilby.

Percedal laughed and nudged his wife with an elbow.

"In fact, if Eva want's to to tell you kids about how stuck-up us royalty can be, I'll just have to give my best example." With that, she stalked off back into the forest with an ever-present grin on her face.

If Evangeline wanted stuck-up, then by-golly she was going to get it. What were friends for?

[[][][]]


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Nice one," said Rubilax. "You really are teaching them some good friendship. The best friendship I think I've ever seen."

"Can it."

"What? I'm complimenting you. Great job."

"Look, it's no big deal! She'll be mad with me for a couple days and then we'll go back to the usual. It's happened before. What's the worst she could do anyway?"

"...She could throw out the fish Yugo caught."

[][][]

Oh, those assholes weren't getting any fish. In fact, they now owed her fish. By Sadida law. Hundreds of fish. She would make it official and place bounties on their head when they didn't pay their due and then she'd hunt them for their bounties and lock them up and use the bounty money to buy fish which she would then eat in front of their prison cells. Every day.

She never thought she'd think the thought, but that fish would taste so sweet.

Now she found herself marching through the forest in search of her wayward fisherman, almost forgetting to ask the trees where to go because gods-damn-it this was important! She didn't have time to make sure she wasn't wasting her time! That would be stupid.

And by Sadida, she was stupid. She completely neglected the fact that this involved actually talking to Yugo. After what happened on the trip here, this was only a setup for another awkward confrontation. Her pace slowed, but it didn't help.

She was already there.

Yugo was sitting on top of an outcropping over the river he was fishing from. The moon sat beside him. The little romantic likely didn't even realize he sat in such a way. The moonlight hit his hat and it seemed to glow with the most vibrant blue Amalia committed to memory. That would make this difficult because blue had become her favorite color not long after meeting Yugo, and it wasn't like he didn't distract her enough as is.

She tiptoed quietly—wasn't sure why—taking more time than she thought possible, and spoke with much less volume than she meant. "Yugo?"

No response. She could hear his breathing just barely. It was terse and sporadic, clipping at times as if he was holding his breath. Was he okay?

She found her volume. "Yugo?"

She heard a quick inhale and a squeak before Yugo sprung forward, trying to get away and looking back with wide eyes. Amalia could see them. Scared. Guilty. Oddly pretty, but now wasn't the time for that.

And then he tripped over his shorts. Which were very much down.

 _Oh._

Amalia wore a blush that almost matched his. Nothing happened. She didn't notice anything. He was just clumsy sometimes. Who wasn't? Good ol' Yugo, he was known for tripping over nothing, y'know. She kept her eyes firmly on the grass patch on the other side of the river as she attempted to speak.

"Hi, Yugo..." She smiled what she hoped was a comforting smile.

Yugo squeaked and hung his head while pulling up his underwear. "I'm very sorry!" He bowed deeper than he had ever before. Or ever would.

Amalia gawked at the display. He was _sorry_? _He_ was sorry? _She_ was the one who walked in on him! If anyone needed to apologize, it was her! Damn it. Just like before. Pathetic. An odd fury welled in her belly and she stepped forward.

[][][]

"Hey, Eva, I've been meaning to ask," Rubilax said as Percedal carved another log to a tip. A pile of wood shavings sat beside him. "How did you manage to get Amalia to agree to that bet? She never struck me as the gambling type."

"What do you think she bet on?"

Rubilax went quiet for a minute. "Well, she bet she could stay on Yugo's lap for the entire trip. Right?"

Evangeline chuckled. "She fell off his lap constantly. Her bet had nothing to do with her."

Percedal stopped carving and tilted his head. "Wait, then what _did_ she bet on?"

Evangeline smirked. "Yugo."

[][][]

Yugo looked up and saw Amalia's scowl and felt a choke in his throat. He stood still, willing to accept any punishment. It was his mistake, after all.

She grabbed him firmly by the cheeks and forced him to look her in the eye. "Stop doing that."

"I'm sor-"

"Stop it!" Amalia squeezed his face into a silly contortion of its former frown. "Stop apologizing!"

Yugo's eyes widened as much as they could while under the strain. "I'm sowwy?"

"Yugo! If you walked in on me doing that, would you expect me to apologize?"

His face heated up under her hands. "N-no, I'd-"

"Yeah, I wouldn't!" Amalia released him. "Because it wouldn't be my fault!" She glared, holding it for what felt like minutes until she seemed to lose fire. "Stop looking down on me," she whispered.

Yugo stared back. Her face was so close. When did that happen? "Th-that's not what... I don't look down on..." Yugo looked down. "It's the opposite, really..."

Amalia seemed to have trouble speaking. Her cheeks were puffed and Yugo could hear her breathing hitch. "Prove it."

"Huh?"

"Kiss me. You did it before." Amalia brushed the hair from her face and leaned forward.

"I..."

She frowned. "Kiss me, Yugo."

"But I... Right after I...?" His face burned and he just stared on, unable to tear his eyes away from hers. He was pretty certain this was a dream at this point. It wouldn't have been the first. Why fight it? "O-okay." He took a tentative step forward.

And promptly tripped on his shorts again.

[][][]

Evangeline sat next to her husband and watched their kids attempt to construct a sand castle out of dirt and mud. Elely deemed the size unworthy and Flopin was displeased with the lack of parapets and his inability to make them, so they took the firewood Amalia gathered and smashed it to bits in a fit of glorious artistic frustration. Percedal cheered them on as Evangeline looked to the future clean-up session with repugnance.

That'll learn it.

"I'm starting to worry. Do you think anything happened?"

Percedal laughed. "To them? If anything happened to them we would have heard explosions by now.."

"I suppose..." Evangeline looked to the sky. It was very late. Maybe Yugo got lost?

"Besides, you said it yourself, she's probably just keeping Yugo from catching fish. To get back at you."

"Well, she wouldn't do that to the kids, would she?"

Percedal shrugged. "Well, Yugo wouldn't... It's just one meal anyway, they had plenty in Emelka. That's adventure for ya."

Evangeline grumbled. Ever the optimist with this one.

[][][]

Amalia was laughing at him. He was face down in the dirt and his shorts were down because he only pulled up his underwear earlier and Amalia was _laughing_ at him. For what it was worth, it wasn't the worst thing she could be doing right now. She had an intoxicating laugh.

Rather than pull up his shorts, he sunk further into the dirt and sighed. Amalia apologized for laughing and for walking in on him and for teasing him although she admitted that she'd do it again in a heartbeat if it was always going to be that funny. She didn't seem all that angry, at least.

She walked to where his fishing pole was wedged into the soil, waiting for a bite that probably already happened, and sat down. She took a deep breath and looked back, smiling.

Yugo pulled his shorts back up and joined her. He resigned himself to being the fool of the night. They sat in silence for awhile before Amalia began fidgeting.

"I really am sorry, Yugo. I didn't mean to walk in on you."

"It's fine. I'm not angry at you." Yugo scratched his shoulder as he watched the river below. "Just embarrassed."

Amalia cleared her throat."...Would you be less embarrassed if I told you that I do that, too?"

Yugo's face grew hot. "W-well I kinda figured after what you said earlier..."

"Oh. Right..." Amalia blushed. "Well that was all i could think of to make you feel better..."

Another silence overtook them. They looked at the stars and the moon and gradually took note of the surrounding nature. The wind jostled the foliage and the crickets sang their song. Fallen leaves and spore dust floated about the area, picking up the moonlight in tiny glimmers. It was something to fall asleep to. Amalia's eyes were half-lidded and Yugo was leaning back in relaxation. It was peaceful.

So of course she would ruin it. "What were you thinking about?"

Yugo cracked his neck with the speed of which he looked at her. She was wearing an impish grin that he hadn't realized, until now, that he always pictured her with. He tried his best to show outrage, but all he could feel was the heat from his blush and a nervous titchy smile.

She giggled. "Would it make you feel better if I told you what I usually think about?" Her smile was mesmerizing, especially behind that full-faced red she wore.

He looked away and began tracing circles in the dirt. "N-no, I'm good."

"Hmm. Well maybe I should tell you anyway." She scooted closer.

Yugo pulled his hat over his eyes and focused even harder on tracing circles. "I don't think-"

"'Cuz it kinda involves... relevant parties." Their thighs were touching.

Yugo stopped tracing and looked at the contact.

"And I'm starting to _really_ want to tell you." She ran her hand across his leg, moving his shorts further up his leg as she went.

Yugo shivered.

"And hey, you still haven't kissed me. You said you would." She was close. He couldn't see her, but he could smell her breath. It didn't smell great, objectively, she needed to brush.

He leaned towards it automatically.

Her hand brushed lightly near his waistband. "So... what were you thinking about?"

Yugo gave in.

He kissed her. Hard. His teeth hit hers and they both jostled but were quick to recover and returned to each other's lips. He hugged her, pulling her down on top of himself, his hands clasping the back of her neck. Amalia moaned into the kiss and incrementally adjusted herself to straddle his legs. They barely separated to catch a breath, Yugo keeping her bottom lip gently in his teeth before they pressed back together.

Amalia snaked her hands around his torso, clawing at his waist and sliding her hand into his waistband only to take it out and watch Yugo's reaction. Every time she pulled back, he bucked and grunted. And every time she clawed, he whimpered and clawed back. She tested every action she could think of to hastily built a repertoire for what she hoped was a future in this; She was beginning to grow addicted.

Until a very loud, abrupt bleating from off in the distance made itself known. It was a horrible sound, like someone was beating a gobbal with a ceiling fan. Another joined in chorus, and the moment was officially ruined.

"Oh come on!" Amalia shouted at the sky.

Yugo blinked. What was he doing? That was dangerous! What if she... Well she was plenty into it as well. But that could have... Maybe... But...

"Well maybe outside isn't the best place for this..." Amalia looked down at Yugo, her face was flushed and she wore a silly grin. "You're really good at that, by the way."

He couldn't think of a good response, so he just smiled meekly with an ear-reaching blush.

She sat down next to him again as they listened to the hellish noisemakers do their thing. Whatever it was. He grabbed his fishing pole.

[][][]

Ruel finally popped out of his bag, carrying with him an item. He gave a stretch with audible pops and a groan. "About time I found the darn thing."

"Welcome back to the world of fresh air, Ruel," said Evangeline. "Did you have fun in there?"

"Bah! Fun wasn't the reason." He hoisted up the strange item, much to the visible confusion of those present. "This was." He pulled at it and it bent into a familiar shape. A chair. A tiny chair. A tiny, pink chair. So pink that even a little girl obsessed with the color would say it was too pink. It was pink and had princesses on it and Amalia was going to kill him.

Percedal let loose a loud guffaw and Evangeline couldn't help but join in, waking the twins in the process. Elely looked around in alarm, seeing who needed a mangling and who needed a saving. Flopin blearily held his eyelids open and grumbled incoherently. Was it breakfast?

"How many kamas do you think I could get out of her for this?" Ruel smiled wide.

[][][]

"You don't want me to catch any fish?" Yugo asked as he cast a line into the river. Amalia sat closely next to him.

She nodded. "Well they insulted us, so this is their punishment."

"Doesn't this go against the bet?"

"The bet was rigged anyway. And Eva said we were stuck up."

"...Doesn't this prove her point?"

"Yes yes, she always was rather smart. Having points and proving them and such," she scoffed. "This is war. She started with a bet, I'm ending it with revenge. And this is just the beginning."

Yugo needed to ignore that smile, so he turned to watch his line. "Wait. She said I was stuck up, too?"

"Are you not going to defend my honor?"

Yugo sent a matching smile back at her. "Nah, that's your responsibility."

She pinched his arm. "That certainly sounds like you're stuck up. And yes, she's teaching those little gremlins of hers that royalty is snooty and whiny."

Yugo laughed. "Wait, are we not gonna catch anything for the kids?"

Amalia shrugged. "If you want. I think they'll be fine."

"Growing children need a steady intake of food. Skipping meals is never a good idea. It can make them moody and sleepless," he said, turning back to the line.

Amalia looked at Yugo for a quiet minute. He sounded like he was quoting. "Where'd you read that?"

Yugo scratched under his hat. "Oh. Um, there was a book I bought a little after Chibi and Grougal were born—"

That's right, he helped Alibert with Chibi and Grougaloragran. "—on how to raise children."

"Well, I wasn't sure if I was going to ask dad to help... It's... a lot of work to ask of someone."

Amalia stared for a moment before pushing Yugo's hat over his eyes again. "You're a lot of work."

The pair sat there for what must have been hours, catching nothing other than conversation, until Yugo got an undeniable tug on his line. He fought with it calmly and reeled it in without problem.

It was the smallest fish either of them had ever seen on a hook. Amalia let loose a chuckle and stopped Yugo from throwing it back.

"We can't keep fish this small. It's illegal."

Amalia raised an eyebrow. "Why would _that_ be illegal?"

"To prevent over-fishing the river. Little guys like this probably haven't reproduced yet."

Amalia snickered.

He blushed. "Shut up."

"Well, I'm sure one wouldn't hurt..."

"Everyone says that." Yugo promptly unhooked the fish and chucked it back into the river.

Amalia sighed, she really wanted to see how Evangeline would react to her 'meal'. This must have been why he wasn't using his portals. She doubted there were laws forbidding their use, but Yugo probably kept in line with the spirit of the rules. Buzzkill.

"I don't think there are any fish in this river we can eat, anyways. It's mostly bottom feeders and tiny ones like that last one."

"Why cant we eat bottom feeders? Are they poisonous?" They certainly didn't have a pleasant name.

Yugo grimaced. "Not really, but they taste like it."

[][][]

"That's it. I've had enough. Dally, throw me as high as you can."

Percedal lit up, nodding quickly and running into position with his fingers laced together. Finally some action! "Ready!"

Evangeline charged, foot gaining purchase on Percedal's hands and she was launched into the sky.

The air rushed by as she ascended. It was a clear, cold night. Perfect for seeing the entirety of the landscape around her. She sent wakfu to her eyes and searched for her wayward friends. She looked towards the river first, being the most obvious location they would be, and found them together on the edge of a small bluff. Amalia's head rested on Yugo's.

Evangeline smiled until she found herself annoyed. That was a positive sign in other matters, but those two were certainly not getting any food. It seemed like Rubilax was right.

Percedal caught her with practiced ease and a goofy smile. "Looks like you fell for me again."

"Oh, hush. You goon."

Percedal shrugged off her act of disinterest. "Are they alright?"

"Yea... It looks like they haven't caught any fish, though."

"Told you," Rubilax jeered.

"Shut up, Rubi. I don't need you to rub it in."

[][][]

Amalia stood up. "We should head back to camp." She lent a hand to help Yugo to his feet.

"I guess..."

"...You hungry?"

Yugo put a hand to his belly. "A little. I have a few granola bars I packed in case of emergency, but..."

"Hmph, this isn't an emergency. Here." Amalia knelt down next to a tree and channeled her magic into it. The branches shifted slightly under new weight as flowers turned to bulbs and then to flowers and then to fruit, which fell off as they ripened. "Don't give any to Eva."

"That's amazing."

Amalia blushed at the praise. "Don't get too excited. They won't taste as good when they're grown like that."

Yugo grabbed one of the fallen fruit and took a bite. Sure enough, it tasted like sugar-water and paper. "Well, it's still better than being hungry," he reassured with a smile.

[][][]

"How late is it?" Yugo asked as they passed through the threshold to the campsite.

"I lost track." Amalia looked up to the moon. It was in the middle of the sky.

The pair eyed the smolders of an almost-exhausted campfire. In the faint red light, they could see their friends asleep. Percedal was leaning against a log and his children were cuddled up to him, his arms holding them in fatherly protection. They were all snoring with varying degrees of volume. Ruel's bag sat next to the log.

And Evangeline was staring at them.

"Woah!" Yugo backed into Amalia and they both fell down.

[[][][]]


End file.
